A Different Ending
by DjinnFlint
Summary: SPOILER ALERT: This story contains major spoilers for the finale of season 8. You have been warned! The ending was not what I was expecting. Therefore, like every raging fan before me, I wrote my own ending. Please enjoy!


**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** First off, the disclaimer: I do not own or have the rights to Voltron Lengendary Defender etc. Secondly, MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR SEASON 8 AHEAD. IF you haven't watched it and don't want it ruined please do not read any further.

So I know I'm a little late to the party, what with season eight being released over a month ago, but I need to get this off my chest. I watched the entire 8th season last weekend and loved every second of it... right up to the last 5-10 minutes of the final episode. It wasn't bad or anything but it left me feeling a little underwhelmed and unsatisfied. The ending felt rushed, forced and a little contrived. I do not understand why Allura had to stay in the void (she says that Lotor helped her learned how to use Quintessence, but then he shows up, so Allura's usefulness sort of just ends there). I do understand that a lot of my frustration is built around the fact the Lance and Allura do not get a happy ending together, which contrasts with everyone else getting the perfect ending. You may not agree with the pairing but the relationship had been building over several seasons and to see it end so abruptly like that was a little jarring.

Anyway there were several other questions I had with the ending and in less than half an hour of finishing the last episode an alternate ending had formed in my mind. By the end of the next day my story was basically complete and just needed to be written down. I was unsure whether I should post this or not - I do not usually like changing what has already been written into a story, I usually just extrapolate from the given tales. Also, it's just a show, so why should I care so much? But this idea in my mind would just not go away and so, three days after watching the show I decided to write it down. Hopefully this will get it out of my head and let me focus on other things for a little while.

So my ending begins part-way through the final episode. Voltron has chased Honerva to the space between realities, after a huge fight in which most realities (if not all) are destroyed, Voltron forces Honerva's mech into the final strand and everything goes white...

* * *

As the blinding light began to fade the Paladins and Shiro found themselves standing in a featureless, white void.

"Woah. Where are we?" Hunk asked, peering into the distance with a hand shading his eyes from the non-existent light source. The group looked about uncomfortably. No one could quite place it, but there was a distinct feeling of a… lacking of something – anything. Instinctively the Paladins shifted towards each other, huddling together as if to remind themselves that they all do exist. Allura was the first to speak

"It feels so… empty." She said, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to break the silence in this never-ending void. Standing behind Allura, Lance gently placed his hand on her shoulder and lightly draws her into him, reassuring her with his presence.

"I know what you mean." Agreed Shiro "When we were battling Honerva's mech outside of Realities we witnessed the destruction of so many strands of Reality. They all vanished. What if this is all that is left?"

Keith clenched his fists and furrowed his brow. "There must be something we can do. We are the Paladins of Voltron. Come on, let's see what we can find." Without looking back Keith strode forward and the others followed his lead.

Not long into their journey, Pidge piped up with some interesting ideas. "So guys, I've been running the numbers and scenarios and I think I know what going on here." The team pause and all eyes focus on Pdige. "As I said I was going back through the data from the battle and running some temporal/spatial alogrithms to try and determine how reality can exist outside of Realities. I've got some pretty neat data that actually helps to confirm several theories of mine regarding-"

"To the point, Pidge." Keith's request came through grated teeth.

"Right, anyway." Pidge paused as if to remined herself of what she was referring to. "As the battle outside of Realities resulted in the destruction of all Realities you can surmise that we are currently in a void of nothing. However, looking at the frequency and spikes of energy from the space around us, it is quite possible, no – maybe even probable, that this Void of Nothing is actually the source of Everything." Pidge stopped her speech with a proud smirk on her face, only for it to be immediately wiped off by the blank looks on everyone's faces. "Basically, this is where all Realities begin. Try not to think about it too hard." She concluded, with a pointed look at Lance. Lance bristled in indignation and was about to launch into a self-defensive tirade when Allura softly placed a finger to his lips before turning back to Pidge.

"So if this is the source of everything, as you have suggested." Allura's voice sound a little strained as if the pressure of the void is starting to get to her. "Then… then it would be possible…" She put a hand to head, clasping her forehead as if trying to ward off a headache. "Surely then… we can find… find a way to…" Allura's voice faded into a moan as she slumped to her knees, unable to continue her train of thought as both hands grasped at her head. The other Paladins began to gather round in concern when suddenly Allura's head flung back and she began to scream.

At the shock of the scream, everyone jumped back nad fright gave way to horror as black energy began to course over and through Allura's body. Somehow, through her screams, a cackle could be heard from not far away. The Paladins searched wildly for the source as through the whiteness of the void Honerva strode towards them, arms spread wide with the same black energy flowing over them.

"Did you think I had forgotten about the Dark Entity still housed within you?" Honerva's voice a grim reminder of the risk Allura had taken when she though there was no other way. "Do you not recall what I did with the other Alteans who carried my mark?" Shiro's eyes widen as he remembers the Altean Robeast pilots breaking into the bridge of the Atlas and siphoned off the energy from the crystal powering the mighty mech.

"No…" he whispered, the sound not even noticed above Allura's screams of pain.

"Now rise, my faithful servant!" At Honerva's command, Allura's screaming stopped and she rose slowly, eyes closed. Once fully upright, the eyes flash open and all can see that they have been completely overwritten with a yellow sheen, no pupil, no iris, just yellow.

"Just like on Atlas." Shiro muttered to himself.

"I tire of this existence. Destroy the Paladins so that I may end this charade." Honerva waves dismissively at Allura as she begins to walk away.

Keith was the first to react, activating his bayard and leaping towards Honerva, his blade drawn back to strike. Lance was claose behind, his bayard activating into a rifle as he took aim. Before a shot could be fired or blow landed, something grabbed Keith around the waist and flung him bodily into Lance. The two crashed heavily to the ground as Allura's bayard whip returned to its owner.

"No way… This can't be happening!" Lance's breathless exclamation was largely ignored as Pidge and Shiro charged at Allura and Hunk activated his bayard, spraying covering gunfire at Allura's direction. "Don't hurt her!" Lance yelled desperately. "She doesn't know what she's doing!"

Allura, with Altean grace and finesse, leapt to her left, her whip snaking out again, this time coiling round Hunk's bayard cannon and giving it a sharp pull. With a startled yell, Hunk was swung around with his still firing weapon, catching Shiro on the shoulder, sending him spinning to the floor.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Hunk called out as he stops firing, trying to get his weapon back under control.

Continuing with her whip movement, Allura brought her weapon around to bear at the onrushing Pidge. With a deft sliding dodge Pidge slipped under the whip's attack and fired her bayard grapple at Allura. Without so much of blink in those blank yellow eyes Allura effortlessy grabbed the grapple blade and pulls hard. Before Pidge could even think of activating the electrical charge she found herself flying through the air slamming into the rising Shiro and sending them both sprawling to the floor.

Back on their feet, Keith and Lance ran towards the fray. Lance fired his rifle but could not get a hit on Allura as she zigzagged towards him. Suddenly, no more than a few metres short of Lance, Allura ducked as Keith's sword sliced through the space Allura had just occupied. Coiling like a snake Allura launched at Keith, hitting him hard in the chest with her shoulder. Knocked back, Keith lunged forward again but Allura sidestepped and threw a fist at Keith's head, catching him on the side of the head and knocking him to his knees. The whip snakes out again at Keith but before it could score a hit a shot was fired and the bayard sent spinning from Allura's hand.

"I will not let it end like this!" Lance growled furiously through the scope of his sniper rifle. "I will not let you go!"

Allura's blank gaze hones in on Lance and her head cocked slightly as if confused. Then without warning she lunged at him. Lance took a step back and raised his arms in front of him to stave off the inevitable blow as his bayard began to glow and change form. Allura's fist slammed into the flat of a sword. An Altean Broadsword.

For the first time in the fight, Allura's expression changed. Her mouth opened and her eyes widened. Lance looked shocked for a moment before his eyes narrow in determination. "That's right Allura! An Altean Broadsword! Last time you saw this, you told me that your father wielded this weapon!" Allura's face faltered under Lance's words. "Don't you remember? In the training room in Castle of Lions?" At the name of the old fortress that carried them across the universe Allura's expression dropped further. The other Paladins all gathered round, bayards at the ready. "Come Allura, this isn't you and you know it!"

Allura's face screwed up in pain and emotion. With a strangled cry of rage and torment she pushed hard against the sword, knocking it aside. With her other hand she grabbed Lance by the chest plate and hurled him at the other Paladins. Shiro and Hunk help Lance to his feet and the Paladins look forlornly at their corrupted comrade.

"… There is no other way." Shiro's statement is met with no reaction as he powers up his mechanical arm.

"It would appear so." Keith's bayard reforms as sword as he aims it towards Allura. Hunk shifted his grip on his cannon and Pidge's hand tightened around her bayard.

Lance stared hard at the Altean Broadsword his bayard had formed. "There must be something we can do. Her father wouldn't have given up so easy."

" _Indeed. You are correct my boy._ "

An ethereal voice echoes around the void. The Paladins and Allura all begin to look around, trying to find the source of the voice. A searing light pierced the white void as the Paladins stared on in amazement as the Lions of Voltron dropped down from above them. Amazement furthered as out of the Red Lion stepped the spirit of Alfor, former King of Altea and father of Allura.

" _Do you not recall the words I spoke in the void surrounding Honerva's mind?_ " Alfor's voice echoed again as other spirits began to step out of the Lions: From Blue, out stepped Blaytz; Trigel emerged from Green and Gyrgan made his way out of Yellow. Black was still for a moment, before the unmistakable figure of Zarkon exited the giant robot.

" _Honerva may be more powerful than each of us alone, but the strength of ten Paladins working together as one is the strongest force in the universe._ "

Allura staggered back as the spirits of her past moved towards her.

" _Everyone, focus your mind on Allura. Together we will expel the beast from within."_

The Paladins and former Paladins gathered round Allura, forming a circle as they joined hands. Allura's expression turned to rage and desperation, but she did not move – almost frozen in place by the circling Paladins. Each Paladin began to glow and the light from each merged together to form a large dome of light. Allura fell to her knees screaming hand clenching the sides of her head as she threw her pack in pain. Slowly a dark essence began to leak out of her chest. Forming a small black orb the size of a fist above Allura. The large dome of light began to shrink with the black orb – the Dark Entity – at its centre. With nowhere to go the Dark Entity threw itself recklessly at the shrinking dome, only to rebound harmlessly off the sides. The light continued to shrink, getting smaller and smaller until eventually: it vanished.

Once the light had subsided, Allura collapsed to ground, motionless.

"Allura!" with a panicked cry Lance rushed to the fallen Altean, cradling her gently in her arms. For a moment everything is silent. Tear's began to form in Lance's eyes as he holds Allura's body close to his. Blue eyes flutter open to see Lance's teary-eyed expression and then the silence is broken.

"Allura!" Keith, Hunk, Pidge and Shiro all run over to kneel around the recovering form of Allura. With some assistance from Lance, Allura managed to get into a sitting position as she gives a weak smile to the Paladin around her.

"The anger… All the anger. I've been carrying it around for so long now. It's… it's gone." Tears begin to flow from Allura's eyes as she covers them with her hand. Lance draws her in closely, resting his chin on the top of her head. The others look at each other, grateful smiles plastered across the faces. Hunk began to sniffle loudly as he wiped hose across his sleeve.

" _I am glad to see you have found your way back._ "

At the sound of her father's voice Allura jerked her hands away from her face and pulled herself to her feet.

"Father, I'm so sorry. You were right about the Dark Entity. You were right…" Tears clog Allura's throat as she found herself unable to speak.

" _That it all in the past. Now we must look to save the present and the future. For all Realities._ " Alfor's spirit face turned grim as he surveyed the White void around him. Eventually his eyes landed upon the Lions.

Before any realisation could be formed, a scream echoed out in the distance. Zarkon's spirit turned immediately towards the sound.

" _Honerva!_ " He cried before rushing off into the white.

"Umm, should we stop him?" Hunk asked, pointing a thumb in the direction of Zarkon's disappearing form. "It's just that the last time they were together Zarkon and Honerva kinda took over the entire Universe for 10,000 years."

" _I wouldn't worry. That was Zarkon as you remember him. This is Zarkon as we remember him._ " Alfor gestured to the other Paladin spirits who all nod in affirmation.

"Oh, uh, Ok." Hunk trailed off, his concerns not quite allayed.

"So we need to find a way to restore the Realities?" Pidge asked. "There must be some way of doing that."

" _You are correct, Paladin of the Green Lion._ " Alfor's spirit makes an approving nod. " _And we will do it using these._ " Alfor's hand gestures again taking in the Lions of Voltron.

"But what can the Lions do?" Keith asked quizzically. Pidge's eyes light up with excitement.

"Of course! It's so obvious when you think about it." All faces turn to look at Pidge, including the spirits. All wear bemused and confused expressions – except for Alfor whose face is more of an amused smirk. "Just think about it." Pidge begins with a slightly exasperated but also excited tone. "The Lions are made from a metal that traversed Realities, right? And they're powered by Quintessence, which is essentially the life force of Universes, yes?" Pidge stared at the blank faces around her as if it were the most obvious thing in the Universe. "What better material to kickstart all realities than a device made of trans-dimensional materials and powered by the very essence of Universes?"

Alfor's spirit clapped slowly in approval.

" _Pidge of the Green Lion, you have impressed me. Yes. We will activate Voltron and restart Realities from here. The more I think about it, the more it feels that Voltron was formed for this very purpose."_

"So who will pilot Voltron?" Keith asked. "And what will happen to those who stay?"

" _If we are successful, those who stay should be returned to their own timeline and Reality._ " Alfor's spirit suggested. " _As we are already gone from our Reality, I recommend that the former Paladins of Voltron take on the task._ "

"Father no! I can't lose you again!" The fear and sadness in Allura's voice is echoed in the tears that form in her eyes.

Alfor's spirit approached his daughter and gently cupped her face in his hands.

" _You will never lose me. You have never lost me._ " Alfor's voice is soft and gentle as he reassured his daughter. " _I will always be with you._ " Allura began to smile sadly and took hold of one of her father's hands leaning her head gently into its embrace.

"It still hurts." Her whispered response caused Alfor to hug her tightly, a move reciprocated by Allura.

" _I love you, my child._ " As he releases Allura from his embrace Alfor's spirit turns to face Lance. " _Paladin of the Red Lion. I felt your love for my daughter in Honerva's void. I feel it now. Care for her well._ "

Lance stood to attention in an Altean salute. "You have my word."

Alfor smiled at Lance a Keith, who had been watching the direction Zarkon had departed from gave an exclamation.

"Zarkon's returning! It looks like he's carrying something."

All the Paladins turned to look and saw Zarkon striding towards them, a limp figure in his arms.

" _She was already like this when I found her._ " Zarkon's spirit conveyed an infinite sadness and he gently cradled his wife.

" _Her grief and rage distort her own reality. Something was bound to give eventually._ " Alfor's voice also carried a sadness for the woman Honerva used to be. " _Zarkon, we are going to activate Voltron to restart the Realities. Are you with us?_ " Zarkon stands there silent, still staring at his wife. " _What do say old friend? How about forming Voltron for one last time?_ "

Zarkon raised his head slowly to meet the eyes of his former comrade. All them nod approvingly and encouragingly at Zarkon. With a small smile he turned and faced Alfor.

" _My friend, it will be my honour and my pleasure._ "

The spirits of the former Paladins embraced their counterparts, save Zarkon and Keith who acknowledged each other with a small respectful nod in each other's direction. With a sad smile Alfor once more enveloped his daughter in his arms.

" _Just remember, you are always loved._ " He whispered into Allura's ear. Allura glanced across to Lance and smiled.

"I know."

The former Paladins began to move towards the Lions. At the mouth of the Black Lion, Zarkon felt Honerva stirring. Through half-opened eyes, she looked up at Zarkon's face.

"Zarkon?" She said, almost as if in a dream. "It's been over ten thousand years since you last held me like this." Her eyes close again and she snuggled further into his arms.

" _It has certainly been too long my love._ " Zarkon's voice was gentle as he entered the Black Lion.

The Lions activated and with the practiced ease of veterans the former Paladins had Voltron formed in an instance.

" _Farewell Paladins._ " Alfor's voice echoed through the void. " _The Lions could not have found more worthy pilots._ "

Voltron flew high into the void, gathering energy as it flew. As it reached the zenith of its flight the energy dispersed in a large ball of light and the Paladins were blinded.

* * *

"Princess? Shiro? Keith?"

The Paladins stirred, slowly coming back round. Keith shot upright and immediately surveyed his surroundings.

"A medbay?" He asked, still half asleep as Coran pranced around the beds. The other paladins groggily sat up in their beds as Coran fell upon Allura, tears streaming down his face.

"Oh thank the nebulous outreaches of Altea! Princess I'm so glad you are unahrmed!" Coran exclaimed between sobbing outburst.

"Thank Coran." Allura said with a brief smile. "But please tell us: Where are we?"

"Oh!" Coran peked up immediately. "This is the medbay of the IGF Atlas. You were found unconscious in your suits where the tear in reality was. It was quite a surprise let me tell you. One moment the tear is there and we are doing all we can to hold it in place – All the Balmerans joined in, but it still wasn't enough. We were slowly losing our grip when all of sudden: It vanished! And if that wasn't shocking enough, in its place was the Atlas!" Coran's excited speech and corresponding action led to a slight chuckle from Allura as she and the other Paladins rose from their beds.

"If I may venture a question to you Princess." Coran continued. "What happened to Lions? I have searched high and low on this ship and have not seen a single scrap that could be linked to the Lions. I am not picking them up on any of our scanner either. It's like they don't even exist!"

The Paladins all gathered round the Princess. Lance put an arm round Allura and she looked into his eyes with a smile. "Voltron fulfilled their duty as the Defender of the Universe." Allura turned back to Coran. "Reality has been restored and Voltron has accomplished its ultimate goal."

Allura and the Paladins began to move away. Hunk immediately began to complain that he was hungry. Keith nudged him gently, saying that Hunk was always hungry – unless he was cooking. Pidge began to talk excitedly about the data she had collected in the void and how she couldn't wat to share it with her brother and father. Shiro smiled softly at her enthusiasm and with a gentle hand on her back began to usher Pidge and the other Paladins towards the exit. Coran just stood there for a second feeling confused. What did the Princess mean?

"It's going to be quite interesting, don't you think?" Allura, still in Lance's embrace turned back to Coran. "Seeing what this Universe will be like without Voltron."

With an eager grin, she turned back to Lance of followed the other Paladins out of the room and the door slid closed behind.

* * *

 **Author's postscript:** It's not perfect, I know. I could not figure out what to do with Honerva, so sort of just settled for her losing her mind in the expanse of the existance-less void. I'm not 100% convinced on my portrayal of the Paladins (hopefully they're close enough!) but it's quite hard to convey that in what is just a short story -well more of a wish/dream than anything. Also the fight scene threw me a little - never been a massive fan of writhing them and it only gets harder when there are more combatants!

Anyway, I hope you liked it - please review and leave comments! What did you think of the ending?


End file.
